


Separate Me From The Earth

by newtype



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Body Dysphoria, Canon Gay Character, Diplomacy, Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, SHEITH - Freeform, Separation Anxiety, Shiro tries to be good, Space Politics, Trans Keith (Voltron), Trans Male Character, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, trans author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 14:12:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9127231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newtype/pseuds/newtype
Summary: Keith, the half-Galran commander of the formerly known Team Voltron, is en-route to answering a distress call from a formerly-colonized planet. But Shiro is concerned with his partner's state of mind; it's been five years since they defeated Zarkon’s army, and some scars take longer to heal.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to my beta-readers. Thank-you Tei for supporting my never-ending Galra fixation. I have niche interests and wouldn't know what to do with them otherwise. If you like this piece, I'd appreciate your feedback! World-building note: I headcanon that Galras have heat cycles, but it's very subtle.
> 
> Gentle warning for afab language.

 

  _I don’t want your future_  
_I’m never, I'm never coming home_  
_I don’t want your future_  
_I’ll be born before you’re born_

 

* * *

 

_System standby is go. Proceeding with maintenance._

 

The Castle’s artificial intelligence was the most company Keith had for weeks. He didn’t mind; this A.I. was specifically programmed to run for extended periods of time. That was just the nature of space travel – there was never a guarantee that you’d ever find anything else, someone else, that wasn’t even remotely hostile. Most of the time, an A.I. wouldn’t argue.

Deep breath. Holograms blurred together into a net of colors and graphs. He’d probably been at this for the last seventy-two hours, with minimal breaks for optimal radar maintenance. After dismantling the highest-ranking members of Zarkon’s army, the newly titled _Lion Force_  had been recruited on a series of diplomatic visits of previously Galran-colonized planets. This trip was only one in many that demanded Keith’s undivided attention. His refusal to let anything slip past him consumed countless night. Maybe he could blame paranoia. 

“How is that?” A familiar voice broke the silence. “Doesn’t staring at those things for so long, I don’t know, bother you?”

Keith shrugged at the concerned comments. Shiro approached him without any hesitation, giving his partner a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before setting down a cup of coffee. 

“No business being up this late if you’re not on duty. Unless,” Keith sighed, “You’re not the only one with insomnia around here.”

Shiro smiled, which suddenly made Keith’s stomach squeeze. He glanced back at the monitors.

“I wouldn’t say that. Not exactly, at least. I swear I have more important things to do than bump into you here at the monitor desk. Promise.” 

“Sure thing, Lieutenant Shirogane.”

 “Excuse me?”

“Nothing.” Keith smiled to himself, realizing Shiro was flustered. “I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

 “Or,” Shiro interrupted, “I can just switch with you. Get the rest. You probably need it.”

 A few minutes passed in silence. Keith eventually reached for the coffee, quietly appreciating the aroma. The scent was distinctly bold, dark – the kind of blend Keith had anticipated Shiro to make. Behind holographs, a translucent image of the nearby galactic system bled into the monitors, surrounding the observation room in a connected web of stars. It wasn’t apparent that Keith cared much; the figures on the maps only changed slightly in response as the castle slowly inched towards the territory of the next previously-colonized planet.

 “Shiro –”

 “Hm?”

 “I’m not scared. Whatever we find there,” Keith paused. “If we find survivors, I mean.”

Shiro shook his head. “I trust you, Keith. It’ll take time to undo what they did, but in the end –”

A light blew up on the terminal. An incoming signal from the approaching home-planet, sent by a refugee base. At first, Keith froze, hand over the communication module. Momentary terror. No one knew the extent to the Galra’s reach, the countless lives they ruin, complete societies destroyed and burned away. They knew nothing. Absolutely nothing.

_Hailing from Lion Force – this is Commander Kogane – we are approaching your planet in response to call. Please meet us at landing._

 

* * *

 

 

_Remember your training, he thought, you’re a Paladin. This is your duty. To survive._

Red and white. Keith bit his bottom lip; at this point he wasn’t sure if he was bleeding or –

Moving. He had to move. A small crater had been blown a few meters from him, making the dust in the valley swirl up into his eyes and ears. Not good. His Paladin helmet visor was cracked, but the communication link was still up, although not exactly strong enough to connect him back to Red. Something hot and wet splattered on his knees, where the ambush had struck him before making the rest of team Voltron split off in different directions.

 _Wait – he got it._ Haggar was trying to isolate them, specifically him. Red was nowhere to be seen, and Keith had sworn he saw Shiro and Lance at least make their way back to their Lions. What in the world was going on?

“We’re coming in, Keith.” The sound was broken with static, but otherwise audible. Keith sucked in his breath. Lance? Shiro?

 “Shiro, where the hell are you?”

More static, but he swore he heard something. Heavy red dust was filling the narrow valley between him and crater, where steaming hot fragments of a Galran missile stared angrily back. White reflective light bounced off his visor, making Keith wince and suddenly leap defensively. Whatever they’d been hit with, no one was prepared for the offensive, and Keith couldn’t shake off the slow build-up of dread in his chest. Something was burning under his skin, daring to break under the desert heat in the midst of the storm.

“Hurry up,” he choked, “I need back-up. _Now!_ ” No one answered. But he needed to make sure.

And white. Overbearing heat all over his body. As if his muscles were contracting against him, making him buckle under his knees, bite his lip until he recognized the familiar metallic taste of blood. Nothing.

**

 “Stand-by, Keith. We’re descending.”

  _This was wrong. He shouldn’t have failed like this. He shouldn’t have needed help like this._

“Surprisingly, the technology used by the Galran forces managed to scramble our map-data,” Shiro answered. “Without the Castle’s retrieval signals, none of you would be where you stand.”

 “Hey – I think he’s up.”

 “Keith? Mullet-head, hey, can you hear me? Dude?”

 “Lower your voice, Lance. Don’t assume he wants to hear you, of all people.”

 “Pidge –”

Nothing could’ve prepared Keith for the vertigo. Brutal nausea made his skull rattle. It teased him until he finally made a pathetic attempt to lift his body up before collapsing back onto his knees. Shiro opened his mouth, but kept his distance; clear concern on his face tinged with a discerned frown, somewhere between suspicion and fear.

 And next thing, all Keith saw was white. Like a curtain falling over eyes, as if his mind was playing a pathetic trick to mask the searing pain building up in his head.

 “No, no, no, I’m _not_ –”

 Where were these thoughts coming from – did this make him…

_His fear felt like daggers._

 

Nothing could explain the immediate shock of disassociation when Keith opened his eyes. He felt a hard chill take over him. As if his entire body was uncoiling itself while the rest of the expedition team – Shiro – had pulled back. Enemy. _Abandoned._

Did he always feel this lonely? Keith had no control; he couldn’t protect the trust his team put in him, so he lost it. What went wrong during the mission, what kind of damage he might’ve done, who else could’ve gotten hurt – he had no idea. _Almost amnesia he thought_. It wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. He was alien, he was other, he was – something other than human.

 “Hey there, buddy.”

 Shiro’s Galra tech arm fell heavy on his shoulder. Keith buried his face away. Shame. But he couldn’t just ignore Shiro, either. This was his responsibility, too. He was a Paladin. His duty was to protect the universe –even if that meant working through this, finding a solution. All of this only made Keith wish he could turn back time, if only he could resist hard enough –

The other man knelt to eye-level and gently took Keith’s hand. Dark violet burn ran up Keith’s arms, becoming prominently tinged with crimson as Haggar’s marks scarred his face. Soon, Keith thought, he wouldn’t be able to turn back. He’d become what he hated most and nothing could change that – how could Shiro look at him now?

 “I know. You’re disgusted,” Keith whispered, “I’m so sorry. I failed. I failed everyone.”

 “No, Keith,” Shiro exhaled and took his other hand, slowly rubbing circles over the scars. A brief look of shock shadowed his face, but he quickly tried to change his tone of voice. “We’ll work through this. We’re stronger than this. You’re stronger than this.”

 “I’m –”

 “You’re not them. Never. Don’t you think that, Keith.”

 “And then what?” Keith choked, “What if I hurt you? Lance? Hunk? What if I sabotage everything? You’re going to leave me here, right? That’s the safest option. That makes the most sense, given everything that’s happened.”

 Shiro frowned and gestured at Keith’s Bayard, tossed aside in a blind fit of fear and unanticipated anger. No matter what, they were _soldiers_ , they had a mission, the universe needed them more than ever. In the scheme of galactic war – there simply was no space for selfishness, Keith considered, kill or be killed, find a solution – _survive_.

 “I don’t know what I am,” he answered. “I’m so sorry. I need to think this over. My head is killing me. You’d understand, right?” Keith dropped Shiro’s hands and quietly tried to lift himself up. His body felt foreign. Like another vessel. More weight in some places, less in other; his balance was off, his senses scrambled. Something irreplaceable had metamorphosed.

 “Take your time,” Shiro replied, “I won’t rush you. But we need you here – we absolutely need you. I don’t know what’s happening, Keith.” An unexpected piercing whistle blew from the valley. Both flinched in surprise, as if confirming one another’s anticipations in the middle of the battlefield.

“It’s scary. Right now, I don’t have any answers. But. I need you here.”

 “I’ll make it through this.”

 “I know.”

 

* * *

 

_Blaring red: Twelve-hours before touch-down. Climate is stable. Prepare for acceleration at the next check-point arrival. Commander Kogane is to be at the front deck at seventeen o’clock._

 

Keith took a deep breath as he examined the bedside hologram monitor. He knew Shiro didn't like him pulling it up. Not when they were together, anyways. But he figured if he was going to be awake, he might as well check the status of the descent. Lance and Hunk had volunteered to take over monitor duty so they could at least try to rest.

_"But we all need rest – Hunk, don't be unreasonable." Keith had tried fighting, but to no avail. Shiro already tried once to cover for him, but he wasn't having it._

_"You need to be as prepared when we touch down, anyways," Hunk explained, "Just let me and Lance do this. For once. Consider it a favor"_

Suddenly he felt a shift of weight on his side. A welcoming hand brushed against his shoulder. He immediately recognized Shiro's familiar smell: the dark, lingering scent of coffee, sweat, exhaustion. He relaxed into the other man, felt his neck rub against Shiro’s as he held his waist.

"What's wrong?" Shiro asked groggily.

"Nothing."

"You pulled up the monitors. You didn't need to do that –"

"I was just concerned. I know. I just needed to check."

"If anything was to go wrong –"

"They'd tell us –"

"Because they're legally obligated to contact you. In case of an emergency. But," Shiro leaned forward, reaching for Keith's hand lingering over the interface. "I’m – not sure if sulking about it will help."

"I wasn't sulking," Keith sighed. He hastily motioned for the monitor to shut down. "Did I wake you up?"

Shiro shook his head and gave Keith’s shoulder a squeeze. He knew how to reach Keith when he got worked up like this, when his muscles tense, when the anxiety of reaching another planet always re-emerged.

Traveling would never be enough to undo what the Galra had done; how many lives were ruined, atrocities neither of them could begin to find words to describe. It sank to the bottom of Keith's heart every time, the closer they came to the next diplomatic meeting, the next time he had to open his mouth. Reveal himself to a dozen of government officials, planet representatives. _Galra._ _Paladin._ Words that were only abstract concepts to him five years ago. Not that millions didn't already know he was half-Galra; they were all public figures at this point, especially after the war. But each time he thought about outing himself, Keith felt utterly smitten with fear.

"You leave tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I think you deserve some peace of mind. Even just a little,” Shiro tried his best to re-assure him.

"Look who's talking," Keith replied. He turned around to face Shiro, quietly wrapping an arm around the man's shoulder. Shiro's arms were his favorite; in the dark he could run his hand over his partner’s biceps, feel the definition, years of nonstop discipline and training to sculpt this body he treasured so much. If Keith rubbed his fingers, softly, over Shiro's skin, he could feel the hypodermic scars ghost up to his touch and disappear. Shiro had _outlasted_ ; he’d come out from the darkness, found his own way out – with him, Keith realized, a purpose to keeping pushing on without any promises it’d last forever.

"Me?" Shiro laughed quietly.

"Yeah."

"How come?"

"You respect me too much," Keith responded. He bit his lip before reaching for Shiro's face and brushing his nose against his cheek. "You deserve some peace, too. I don't know what that looks like, yet. Not sure if either of us ever will. But you shouldn’t worry about the landing. I’ll be fine. The people here know who I am; nothing’s going to happen. They need you here on the ship more than me right now."

"Don't say that, Keith."

"I'm just being honest."

With his thumb, Keith stroked the side of Shiro's cheek. A fine patch of stubble. Warm with as a much sleep as they could've possibly gotten. A faint scent like home. Keith left a butterfly trail of kisses, arriving as Shiro parted his lips, and felt a glow overtake him. Almost like electricity, like basking out on the deck and watching the stars, kissing this man still felt surreal to Keith.

Sometimes he felt like he didn't deserve it, as if reuniting all those years ago had been some mistake that never fully resolved itself. But Shiro felt too _real_ , to present in Keith’s arms, to deny that this man hadn’t at least strolled through hell and back to be right here.

"Do you want this, Keith?" Shiro gasped as he pulled away. "This early, I mean? We could wait."

"Just a little," he whispered back. "I think I need this. You. I don't know what I'm feeling right now, but I need you right here. Before I head off for god knows how long."

Shiro let his hands fall a little lower, thumbing the waist of Keith's pants, gently sliding them down his narrow hips in a single gesture. Keith sighed into his chest at the cold, leaning his forehead against the bare skin of Shiro's shoulders. He made quick work of finding the wet patch of fabric between Keith’s legs, at first pressing against it gently, rubbing circles with his thumb.

“Ah –” Keith squirmed slightly, leaning into the touch. Sometimes he forgot Shiro had talent.

“Got you, baby.”

Before all of this, when he was still the Red Paladin, Keith would corner Shiro in empty hallways, a moment of silence in one of their rooms trying to map out each other’s bodies. There was still so much to discover: which parts of them felt right, which parts they never knew needed the touch of another warm body. Keith felt himself burn at the memory, of Shiro holding him against the control deck of their Lions, cock against Keith's thigh, giving him something he'd never knew he wanted. _Needed_. He needed Shiro's body against him for if possible.

"How's that? Keith?" Shiro was good at reading his body language. He’d lowered his hand right over his back, rubbing small circles against the tight muscle. Keith figured he must’ve gotten anxious.

"Good," Keith gasped, "That's good. We're good."

"–Love you."

"I know."

Shiro made quick work of undressing Keith, letting him straddle his lap as he leaned in to kiss between short gasps. Exposure to Galran genes had made Keith's clit grow over the years. That was just a fact they’d happily accepted. Painfully wet and swollen against Shiro's busy fingers, being spread open and stroked was the first way they’d ever fucked. And it was how Keith currently preferred it.

Keith opened his mouth, tongue out slightly as he leaned into Shiro, letting the man spread his thighs against his hips so that he could straddle right over his bulge. He hadn't even bothered to realize he'd been this wet, ready to take Shiro in, feel his palm rub circles into him and make him see stars.

A faint light slipped through the curtains; the ship was slowly coming into orbit, passing by fields of glowing nebulas and the signals of other travelers. Away from all of this, with only each other to hold, Keith felt closer, practically inseparable from Shiro’s touches.

"Fuck, Shiro – I'm close. Don't stop," he gasped, "Don't you dare stop." Keith swallowed hastily, taking a fistful of the duvet, bucking into those working hands.

Shiro felt teeth graze against his ear. Raised breaths on the nape of his neck. He moaned from his throat, pressing his hand firmer against the small of Keith's back. Their first time, he feared hurting Keith, being too rough with him – but those expectations were quickly turned on their head. Now, Keith demanded the most from him, always encouraging Shiro, never hesitating to stop and tell him how great of a job he did. Riding Shiro in the middle of the night, cradling his face, reminding Shiro that he’d done more, was compassionate than any other person he’d known. The greatest man Keith ever had the pleasure of working with.

That lack of fear made Shiro hopelessly weak. All because of Keith’s burning dedication. He secretly adored the praise, but made a strained effort to hide it.

Soon he had Keith on his back, eyes pinned on his chest rising and fall with heavy breaths. He'd gotten used to Keith's excitement, his complete disregard for modesty in the bedroom. Although Shiro couldn't exactly say it caught him off-guard, either. His partner laughed and reached for Shiro’s hair, playing with the white tuff that’d never quite grown back to its original color.

"Isn't it awful," Keith started, watching Shiro as he wet his fingers with lubricant, "That every time we land, I have to stay away for so long? That they always insist on keeping me for long as possible? Like I don't have a damn life of my own out here?"

“Let’s try and keep our jobs out of the bedroom.”

“Oh please,” Keith jabbed, “That’s the most hypocritical thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“While fucking, or like, in general?” Shiro mused.

Keith made a short humming noise in the response. Raising his hand, Keith ran his fingers over Shiro’s deltoid, searching until he found the raised scar tissue above the amputation.

“So maybe our jobs that a little bit to do with it. I mean, the sex part. Not too much, though.”

“Uh-huh,” Shiro sighed. From the corner of his eye, Keith noticed him lowering his fingers coated in slickness, cautiously grabbing the thick muscle of his thighs.

“You don’t need to be so careful,” Keith gasped, “I’m not a kid. Just fuck me before we land so when I get there I can at least try to concentrate.”

“Aren’t you motivated?”

“—Or just horny. C’mon.”

A moment later, Shiro inserted two, three fingers, while he worked at Keith’s clit. It twitched slightly, as he slipped in further, stretching Keith open with concentrated thrust. Keith was so warm; although he’d be too embarrassed to ever say to his face, Shiro figured. He always felt so inviting, wanting, needing Shiro to take care of him when he asked nicely. Or begged.

Keith moaned at the flick of Shiro’s wrists, digging his nails into his partner’s shoulders, feeling the sweat begin to collect between his neck and the pillow.

“Fuck,” he gasped, “God, Shiro. That’s so good.”

“How about better?” Shiro asked. “Let’s see what I can do.”

“I think I’m ready – your cock, Shiro.” Keith hated spelling it out, but it was better to be verbal. Even though they’d been together for years, he needed permission, needed Shiro to know when he could touch with his body. It wasn’t as if he necessarily nervous with men – no. But it’d been safer, with Shiro knowing who he was, what fear of losing control could feel all too like.

Without any further encouragement, Shiro undressed himself and slid himself up to his partner. The softness of Keith’s skin still caught him by surprise; he fit perfectly with him, his body with Keith, eyes on him – only him. He took his time leaning toward, thumbing the opening of Keith’s labia, massaging the bulging slit red for attention. Immediately he noticed a hitch in the other’s breath, excitement painfully building up on his face.

“Shiro, please,” Keith moaned, practically whined. “R-right now. Please. I want you to fill me up all the way like you used to. Inside of me. Your thick cock, Shiro, god please.” If he could only listen to himself, Shiro thought.

Keith raised the arch of his back, lifting himself closer to Shiro’s already slick member. Rocking against Keith’s clit, Shiro took a deep breath and felt himself between Keith’s walls with an obscene wet noise. Keith cried, raising his fist as if to bite it, but eventually relaxing as Shiro drew himself in deeper.

He loved this. Keith’s willingness. To make himself this vulnerable to him, to trust him so unmistakably with his body. They respected this, felt each other’s hands on their bodies with the same long starved desire for intimacy years ago.

A few minutes passed before Shiro paused, ignoring Keith’s pleading he continue as he leaned in for a kiss. Keith eagerly complied, greedily sucking at the man’s lip, mouth opening for his tongue. Saliva threaded itself between their mouths as Shiro pulled away, panting as he saw Keith’s flushed face hungrily watching him.

“Baby,” Shiro gasped, “Whatever it is you Galra do. You’re in heat.”

“I didn’t think you needed, uh,” Keith sighed, “I thought you know – me being _half_ …”

“I mean not right now? I mean,” Shiro shook his head, “Trust me, I’m not complaining.”

Keith laughed nervously, leaning back into Shiro’s pillow.

“Well, you know now, don’t you? I don’t think it’d be that big of a surprise, though. Come and finish what you started.”

“Do you want to –”

“That’s all I want right now,” Keith replied, “All I need is you where I can see you. I have no clue when the next time I’ll be back on the ship. Every last second I’m getting with you definitely _counts._ ” He smiled meekly at his own words, recognizing his own sappiness, but still couldn’t take his eyes away from the other man. He hoped Shiro shared the same feelings, desperately holding on for another chance to leave him with a better impression than he last left. Prolonged distance reliably made it enviable he’d spill his heart out for him.

Shiro sighed coming back down on Keith. A well-defined arm reached out for him, guiding his partner carefully to his side with a sound of relief.

“I’m sorry you’re still not used to it,” Keith started.

“Used to what?” His chest was pounding, but Shiro kept a still face.

“Me – being,” Keith felt the words stick to his tongue. They’d had this conversation so many times before. The phrasing felt all too redundant at this point. All he wanted was to open up the man sitting beside him, let him know everything was going to be alright. Keith had been assigned diplomatic duties as a half-Galran official almost immediately after Zarkon’s defeat. Right as Team Voltron disbanded to work for the Altean government as Lion Force. Boundaries almost felt painfully artificial at this point.

“—You being who you are,” Shiro answered, “There’s nothing wrong with you Keith. I don’t mind you asking me. Ask me how many times you’d like and I’ll keep telling you the same thing. I know you too well to be apprehensive, to be…”

  
“…Scared?”

“I mean. I just don’t know what I’d do if something happened. If I wasn’t there. There are people out there, Keith. Bad people. Who can’t stand seeing you traveling with us.”

An uncomfortable silence sat between them for what felt like hours. The soft glow of the nebulae outside slowly grew brighter, rising through the curtains and peeling on to the duvet. Another hologram screen flickered at Keith’s side, but he only gave it a momentary glance before turning back to meet the other man’s eyes in the dimmed light.

“Sometimes you act as if I’m not a part of this either,” Keith stated. “You have every right to be concerned, Shiro. I don’t think you haven’t earned it. Ten-thousand years of history can’t be wiped cleaned in _your_ lifetime or _mine_. I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know if I should be scared, either. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take, although I doubt that’s something that might surprise you coming from me.”

“No, not exactly.” Shiro frowned and reached over to Keith’s hair, parting the black bangs from his eyes. A deep, emotional violet color he never quite got over. He opened his mouth slightly, which was enough of a sign for Keith to lean forward and linger, sharing a breath with Shiro and leaning into his chest. It was satisfaction, warmth, everything at once.

“I hope I’m not that much of a mystery for you,” Keith told Shiro. “As far as I know, I don’t know much either. I guess we’re both still figuring it out.”

“That’s the truth,” Shiro laughed quietly, “Although you’re pretty good at solving mysteries, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Is that so?” Keith picked up his head, his expression somewhat skeptical but mostly amused.

“I’ll get used to the alien biology thing. That doesn’t bother me. But, _these_ are on the other hand,” Shiro touched his hair again, parting the strands to reveal a lowered pair of Galran ears. Surprisingly soft, Shiro couldn’t resist massaging them for Keith when he had the chance, finding it almost amazing how receptive they were to his touch. “They sorta get in the way, don’t you think?”

“Oh c’mon. You like them,” Keith moaned. So maybe the alien parts were taking him some getting used to; he’d always been a little anxious about his body. But Shiro made him feel safer with it, at least, more than he’d ever had before. To that Shiro shook his head, and considered maybe it wasn’t so strange – they’d seen a lot together in space over the years. Adaptation was something they’d learned out of necessity, for survival’s sake. It’d come naturally, Keith figured, and he wouldn’t have to explain himself any further for other person or Shiro. As long as they respected him, gave him space – he could cherish the fact his team treated him so well.

“Maybe we should get ready?”

“We?” Keith asked.

“For your departure. Allura wants us on the deck.”

Keith quietly rose, shifting himself from Shiro’s side to stand up. From behind, Shiro could catch a glimpse of Keith’s developed shoulder muscles, his back covered in perspiration. He swallowed and rubbed his temples as light flooded the room.

“Shiro – look at this.”

Outside the ship, a phosphorous navy swirl of stardust collided with the vague outline of a planet. It would’ve been a matter of time before they reached the atmosphere, but from afar the planet’s protective layer radiated against the darkness of space. The streams of gleaming white stars bled into each other the closer they approached, eventually fading into indistinguishable spheres of color. Keith sucked in his breath at the sight; he wanted to marvel at it for longer, stay right here with Shiro, never leave his side again. Space felt too massive and unconquerable for two people to change, to make any of their actions feel genuinely significant in the face of history. It was surreal and almost obscene to Keith, that he would have to land on this planet he’d never been to before, speak on the behalf of millions of Galrans alive and dead. Lives he’d never known.

“Wish I could join you,” Shiro said, “There was so much I missed, when the Galra…”

“I know.” The words hung in Keith’s mouth, bitter, as if he might’ve offended the other. A re-assuring hand gripped his shoulder, Shiro’s way of letting him know it was alright, that he didn’t need to speak any more than he could.

“In a few years, I’d like to make everything up to you. I don’t think I’ll ever know how much they took from you, Shiro, but if I help start…mend whatever it was that they broke,” Keith started coarsely. Suddenly his voice felt weak, realizing he might as well have been at a loss for words. He almost never hesitated with Shiro, but it wasn’t as if they didn’t have boundaries, either. Eventually, the past would come rushing back to both of them, without warning, and they’d need to be prepared.

“If I can do anything to make this world a better place, I mean. If anything I do leaves an impact, I want you to be able to carry it on for me. Sometimes I’m terrified. That I’ll leave without anything to spare, that this whole mess will be left for someone else to clean up. That we won’t be able to resolve the conflicts we have now in our lifetime.”

“Is that how you feel? About everything we’re doing?” Shiro was looking at Keith, trying to read the solemn expression on his face. Their reflections revealed themselves only slightly against the concave window.

“Yes, something like that, although I hope I’m not being too vague,” Keith answered. “I don’t know how much we’ll ever be able to salvage. Years down the line, even.  It’s as if finishing the war with Zarkon was only half the job. Now we have the rest, everything we have to rebuild ourselves.”

“Not alone, mind you. You make that sound dreadfully ominous, Keith,” Shiro replied, “But maybe there’s truth to that. I don’t think either of us can afford to be optimists. “

“We have a duty –”

“And I need you to _stay alive_.”

 

* * *

 

  _Descent is approximately two hours, prepare for landing at the command deck. Arrival is expected at seventeen o’clock. Planet officials will be meeting with Commander Kogane and Chief Allura. Report at stations until called to duty posts._

Control deck was relatively compact compared to the rest of the Castle. Lion Force’s flagship hadn’t changed much since the transfer in leadership, save for renovating the piloting controls to mirror those of Galra tech salvaged from co-opted ships. The original blueprints varied only slightly in design; in the end, it was still the same ship with the same personality. Every landing still felt like a pressure test, though. Keith held his breath as the monitors updated the atmospheric and engine readings frantically.

“We’re doing well,” Hunk explained, “I’m anticipating a pretty smooth landing, actually. We might end up a little ahead of schedule, which in the scope of things, isn’t too bad.”

“That’s re-assuring,” Keith sighed half-heartedly, “Although I definitely wouldn’t mind more time in orbit.”

“We all would,” Shiro interjected, “But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’d be the best play on our part. You want to make good first impressions, right?”

Keith raised an amused brow at the comment, but only folded his arms in response. Hunk laughed meekly and reached overhead to a set of controls.

“Have you already rendezvoused with Allura?” Hunk asked.

“We’re meeting at the port. We’d figured since we conferenced beforehand, it’d be good to make an appearance together. It’s doing wonders having Altean royalty with us, that’s for sure. Or at least, it’s working for publicity’s sake.”

“The supplies are ready, just so you know,” Hunk said, his attention still on the machinery, “So when you land, make sure the officials know we’re bringing relief with us, too. Just tell them we’ll be unloading as soon as you and Allura touch ground.”

“Will do.” Keith glanced around the room, eyeing some of the monitors but for the most part leaving that business to Hunk and Pidge. They’d taken up the positions for the deck out of necessity, given that despite their involvement in the war, acquiring new comrades willing to travel with them was rare. For the most part, their roles as the Paladins had been too formative, too deeply engraved in their comfort with each other that going their separate ways felt too daunting.

Keith figured he’d always be the lone soul onboard with, what he’d eventually come to recognize as separation anxiety. But now he began notcing signs of it in the others, the way Lance would make sure to call immediately after him and Allura landed, Hunk’s constant prattling on their roles as diplomats and not tourists. More so on his part than Allura, given she’d been born into being a public figure, while Keith was slowly being forced to at least attempt a personable appearance. For now, it seemed to be working.

“You feeling alright?” Shiro inquired. “I’m assuming you already have an idea of what to expect when you get there. You look as prepared as ever.”

The atmosphere was beginning to change colors on the observation deck; a pool of light gathered around the windows before clearing. Of course, it would be another hour before they broke the atmosphere and be en-route to the designated landing port.

“For the most part, yeah,” Keith sighed, “I mean, you never completely know. It’s always been like that traveling. It really makes it hard to plan in advance.”

“I’ve been to dozens of planets, Keith. There’s so much we’re never going to be able to see. But trust me, that isn’t going to stop any of us. If we stick around enough, I mean,” Shiro laughed, “I’m sure we’ll make it through a good slice of the galaxy.”

Keith closed his eyes. The slightest vibration shook the deck as the ship shifted gear, preparing itself for landing. Everyone silently braced themselves for impact. He opened his eyes at the jolt, noticed Shiro step closer to him, and swing his arm his way as if he meant to do so unintentionally. Without a second thought, he caught it. Shiro’s hand felt firm, grounded, what Keith realize he’d needed the entire time as the darkness of space faded behind the ship. The next moment, they were met with the cloudy atmosphere of the planet, spreading further apart to reveal the vague outlines of continents, oceans, forests below.

This was a living, breathing planet full of life, Keith realized, a _home._

Whatever Shiro and him could make of it, he was ready.

**Author's Note:**

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